Wichita eagle., 1887-05-01
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE OF PROHI-
BITION.

PRACIlCAL GoG G1sA11A~OAS ~
BITION.
From the Lol don England) Christian Common
wealth.
Mr.. Timothy Coop, an English gentle
man who has travelled over the greater part
of the world and who is now temporarily
residing in Wichita, Kansas, sends us
very interesting letter with regard to his
experience in that city. Kansas. as is well
known, Is prohibition state. Wichita Is
quite new city, which has sprung up
within the last few years, and is rapidly
extending itself in every respect. Mr.:
Coop states that his residence in city and
In q state (the said state being larger than
England where the prohibition law Is In
force. has greatly intensified his feeling OF
disgust against what he rightly terms that
accused system of licensing the sale
of intoxicating drinks for the support
of revenue" and which he charac-
terises a. an awful mistake, 10 say nothing
Of its wickedness During residence OF six
months in Wichita MIR. Coop has seen only
two drunken men, and these he says was
walked off to the cooler-whatever they
mean-and on the following day. when they
had cooled we presume, they were lined
zoe. and costs Mr.. Coop states that
he is often asked by people how it
is that Wichita, which has sprung up
in the very midst of prairies, has suddenly
become such prosperous city, and he says
that he cannot attribute this remarkable
prosperity to anything but the existence OF
the prohibition law. THE people are all So
Der, hard-working, energetic, and they save
the money that would be spent in drink,
and the consequence is they are flush with
money, and they are looking out for corner
lots, &C." Undoubtedly this view is cor
rect. Wherever prohibition is enacted the
immediate result upon honorable commerce
of every description is to give it an i'm
mense impetus. When the commercial
men of this country come to understand
this question Alright they will see it to be
their interest to join hands with those who
are determined 10 put down the drink
traffic. The day will come when our
merchant princes, bankers, and heads OF
commercial houses will become out and out
prohibitionists. Mr.. Coop states that in
Wichita all the places of worshiparecrowded
out, and that all the churches are extend
Ing and building new schools, etc. We
believe that no less than four universities
are being established in this city, oil of
them being located In large and splendid
buildings, 30 that Wichita before long will
become center of educational and relig'
ious influences of the NEST powerful kind.
We need not say that this state of things
presents remarkable contrast to all that
we see in this country. Here places of
worship. instead of being crowded out are
mostly more than half empty. Ministers
and earnest christian workers continue to
deplore this condition Of things, and have
discussed in conference and through the
press all kinds of means by which 1t is to
be remedied. It is marvellous that they
do not see that it is the drink traffic, and
the customs and institutions which are
upheld by it, which constitutes
the most formidable hindrance to all
kinds Of Christian and ameliorative effort.
Let us put down the drink and we shall
soon fill our churches. and, indeed, require
new ones. The day will come when min
| listers and deacons will also awake to a
sense of the vast importance Of the prohibi
| tive movement. Then we shall see in this
country what is now not at all uncommon
| in America, viz, every minister In a city
or town will be definitely committed to the
support of the prohibition party. Some
people may think that we are claiming
more for prohibition than can fairly be
claimed for it, and they may imagine that
we are also disposed to make little too
much out of it in this journal. We are
certain that those who entertain these
views have never seriously gone to the
root of this matter. All the evidence OBJ
tainable upon this subject is to the same
effect IS the testimony of Mr. Coop, and
that Is that wherever the drink traffic is
put down by law, there everything which
can possibly tend to the improvement OF
society, physically, socially, Intellectually
and morally, multiplies its power hun,
bred folds, whilst, on the other hand, all
that tends to degrade and destroy the
human race is proportionately diminished.
this being so we ask every reflective reader
whether It is not our duty, and also his
duty, to do our utmost to secure for this
country all those blessings which surely
follow from the extirpation of the odious
traffic in drink.